I'll start off by saying that I swim every day and this has never happened in the two months since I've started swimming again and it's kinda starting to tick me off. Anyways, I have this workout that I do everyday and when I first started it a couple of weeks ago I could do it all the way through with out any problems. Now when I do it about a quater of the way through my arms start to get really tired and feel like they are pulling through really thick water. I don't understand this. I stretch really good before and after, and usually a least once during my workout, I try and do dryland once a week, I strecth when I watch TV sometimes, and I have a steady kick the whole time so it's not like my arms are doing all the work. But for about the last week then my arms have been sore, both during and after the workouts. I usually just swim through the soreness I stretch when it comes and then make sure I strecth when it comes back. Any ideas about what's going on and how to make it go away:confused: ? Thanx!!!
~Kyra
p.s it's mostly in my biceps and shoulders
Former Member
Try not stretching at all. Current thinking is that it may be best not to stretch!!
Former Member
That's different.....I've heard to stretch a lot for flexability and such. But hey I'll try anything once! Thanx a bunch!!
Former Member
Originally posted by Gil
Try not stretching at all. Current thinking is that it may be best not to stretch!!
Whose current thinking?
While there are certainly a number of traditional "swimmer's stretches" that are actually harmful rather than helpful, I think that if you canvas athletic experts you'll find very few that espouse an anti-stretching philosophy. There WILL, however, be lots of noise about how much, how often, when, which stretches, how they should be executed etc.
Former Member
So then if I should be strething...what kinds of stretches should I do? I usually pull my arms around the front of my body and hold for a couple seconds, then over my head, grabbing my elbows and bringing them towards the other shoulder, and then lock hands behind my back and lift them over my head. Are these bad, good, or do they make no difference?
Former Member
If the problem is that your arms get really tired then stretching is probably not the issue. If you are kicking strongly your legs could be consuming too much of the available oxygen leaving your arms in oxygen debt. Kicking too hard can make your arms tire out. It is also possible that you are overtraining and need to vary your workload to give your muscles a chance to recover. Sprint training one day, long slow distance the next or something along those lines. Doing the same thing every day is not optimal.
I don't think current thinking is not to stretch at all, it is to not do hard, increase-your-flexibility type stretching before swimming. Flexibility is very important and stretching after your workout and at other times of day is a GoodThing(TM).
Former Member
Stretching... I watch others stretching before they swim, I watch them stretching after swimming. These are the ones who are generally having shoulder and arm problems. I do loosening up excercises but never hard stretches. If it hurts don't do it. If you are going to stretch do it gentle.... Please don't do duck walks.
George www.swimdownhill.com
Former Member
Thank you all very much for the feed back....i never thought my problem was that I was stretching too much...I thought i didnt' stretch enough. So from now on I'll just try to loosen my muscles and let them rest some rather then try to stretch them out. Thank you again for all the hints! I really appreciate them!!!
~Kyra
Hello Kyra,
Here's another idea to think about.. If you've changed your diet at all, or haven't been getting enough vitamins or water, your muscles will feel it. Here's a interesting article with some info on how vitamin c, among other vitamins affect muscle soreness.
shop.store.yahoo.com/.../whyaremymuso.html
hope this helps. :)
Jeanette.
I would suggest a little more warm-down and I would change it up a little. Something like a 200 all easy (50 back, 50 free work on distance per stroke, 50 finger tip drag, 50 free work on distance per stroke) on each turn work on maximum distance from wall streamlining. This might help loosen up the shoulders and relax the biceps.
Former Member
Originally posted by Rob Copeland
Before you decide that the problem is from stretching or from swimming every day, how about a little more information…
What is this work out that you do every day?
Are you getting in an adequate warm-up at the beginning of the swim and warm-down at the end? Getting out without a proper warm-down will most definitely cause next day muscle fatigue.
Were you involved in other physical activities prior to beginning to swimming, which would have worked other major muscle groups?
Soreness in the shoulders can often be attributed to technical imperfections (I’m not sure why your biceps would hurt, unless you’re doing a lot of breaststroke???), has a coach looked at your stroke to see if it is technically sound?
My workout consists of stretching, then 250 yds of freestyle (i take the first 100 or so slow to warm up) then 250 ***...a 400 IM...a 50 sprint..and then 50 ***, then repeat. I usually take the last 100 and do drills though. For my warm down I do a 50 of approach breaststroke nice and easy(more if I feel like i need it), then i get out and stretch. I wasn't doing anything really physical before I started swimming again...only soccer in the spring, but i was the coach so not as much excerise and normal soccer....I know that my technique is horrible so I ordered the TI videos and was starting to work on my form more so that what I knew and good fix myself with help from these boards. Hope that helps!!
~Kyra
